


Upturned

by IamV



Category: Flipped - Fandom, Wendelin Van Draanen
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1950s, Blonde Bryce, Book - Freeform, F/M, mix of book and movie, movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2017-04-21
Packaged: 2018-07-26 12:41:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7574413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IamV/pseuds/IamV
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a new year, Julie and I will begin our final year of junior high and then we’re off…. to four more years of High School. Garrett stopped speaking to me after the Basket Boys lunch thing. It’s fine with me, I don't need the association. Sherry threw sneers at Julie and me until the end of the school year. But it was fine, Julie was good company. We didn't always talk, we didn't need words, but in all honesty that was okay. In two weeks we start school again, and everything should be normal. Julie and i would ride our bikes to school, we would talk more about that (Philosophy?) about the whole being greater than some its parts”. I still didn't quite get it, but Julie was happy to explain it to me. Everything would go swell, just me and Julie…. and then the new guy moved into the neighborhood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Knock Over, Knock Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [another_alex](https://archiveofourown.org/users/another_alex/gifts).



**  
**

Summer really flew by. In two weeks we go back to school and we start our eighth grade year. I’m not all that excited. I mean, I’m glad junior high will be done with but we still have four more years of high school to go through. So, yep not too ecstatic about that.

On the bright side, I’ve become friends with Juli. Like real friends.

I… I guess I’m finding out that I never really knew Juli.

Yeah, I know I said she’s pushy and stubborn beyond belief. But really, she’s open to everyone’s opinion she just.. She has her own ideas and her own way of going about things.

A lot of kids our age don’t have that. I know I don’t.

It goes along with "the whole being greater than the sum of its parts”. We’re just bundles and bushels of ideas and traditions from outside forces. We, as people, won’t start generating our own thoughts and ideas until we’re about eighteen.

It’s interesting stuff. It makes my head hurt sometimes when I get deep into it, but it’s pretty neat to think about. And if I’m being completely honest, it’s terrifying.

It’s terrifying how we’re easily we're influenced by the outside.

But now, I’m beginning to understand the things that are going on around me.

I can now see why Lynetta, my sister, is talking back and fighting my dad. She doesn’t agree with him, she’s breaking away and choosing her own likes and dislikes. And I guess, my dad’s one of the dislikes.  

I also now understand what my Grandfather said. I now know what he meant when he said “I’d hate to see you swim out so far you can’t swim back.”

He saw that I was becoming my dad. Becoming this person who easily lies and is so… so…

I don’t know, but I don’t want to be what my dad is. Not really.

But since I’ve been hanging around Juli, my thinking and my sight is changing.

Well, not sight. What’s the word? Perception.

Yeah, that’s what changing. My perception and outer and inner body awareness is changing.

I’m glad it is. Because there’s so many things I was blind to that I’m seeing for the first time now.

I’ve grown a lot, I think.

At least, that’s what I was thinking when I was coming up the sidewalk while on a leisure stroll.

See, I find that I like absently walking around and thinking to myself.

Probably because I never thought much before.

But now, I quite like it. Sometimes my grandpa would join me and we’d talk. I liked to hear him talk about grandma.

These strolls I take happen on early mornings or late afternoons. They’re uneventful to say the least. But it's what I’ve grown to like.

My thoughts were interrupted by a football coming my way. I didn’t get hit by it. I heard someone holler “Watch out!” and I turned in time to catch it.

 

The guy who hollered looked about my age. Black hair and the greenest eyes. His face was round and he had a… what is it? Beauty Mark.

He had a beauty mark just above his right eyebrow. His hair was slicked back but I could see rebellious curls coming through. He was coming towards me, and that’s when I noticed where I was. I was in front of the house where the Sycamore Tree was. This guy lived in the Sycamore Tree house.

I know it was pretty dumb of me, but I kinda felt mad at him. Y’know for ruining what was once there? But it was completely stupid to blame him for that.

When he was finally in front of me. I handed him the football and planned to go about my way but he introduced himself; after apologizing of course.

“My names Jack. Jackson Lee Lecce” he said as held out his hand for me to shake.

“Bryce” I said simply as I shook his hands.

“My family just moved into the neighborhood. I...” I wan't listening. I was observing. I've been working on being a bit more attentive so I just analyzed him a bit. He was taller than me by like half a head. His eyes were super green. And his hair was ridiculously dark. Honestly, his face looked like it was the kind you’d see in a magazine.

“You wanna throw around the pigskin?” he asked.

I politely declined, and was about to turn to leave when he asked another question.

“Hey, there’s a girl who sells farm fresh eggs, right? My ma’s been wanting some. She heard from a neighbor that they’re sold at a good deal and that the girl raised the hens herself.”

“Juli?” I said without really thinking. I knew Juli’s egg business had grown to be fairly local around the neighborhood but I didn’t know it grew to over here too.

“Is that her name? Does she deliver?”

“Uhh, yeah. Yeah, she does. I can tell her about her new customers when I catch her. She lives by me so I’ll let her know to come up this way since there’s people who want to buy eggs.” I said.

And that was that.

When I saw Juli in the afternoon I didn’t tell her straight away about the new family who was interested in buying eggs. I should have. But I didn’t.

I think I was subconsciously trying to protect her. She had been hurt about the tree being taken down and she avoided really going by the area where the tree used to stand. So, I guess I didn’t think that she’d want to interact with the people who ordered the tree to be cut down.

I did tell her about the Lecce family, really quickly though. I was heading home and I just kinda slipped it into my ‘goodbye’ of the day.

I might have underestimated Juli’s strength. Okay, no, I do that a lot. I did underestimate Juli’s resolve.

With the way Juli talked about the tree, how she loved the view it gave her, what it meant to her, I didn’t think she’d want to be around the people responsible for the uprooting of her tree.

 **  
** But in the morning, Juli was heading out to the house where the Sycamore Tree used to be, eggs in hand.

* * *

**Thanks for reading. -V**

 


	2. Shake Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Perception Shift

A week passed since the incident with the Sycamore Guy. Juli sold them a half dozen eggs, and I guess that they seemed to like them cuz they asked for more. Juli and I did what we usually do, though my grandfather has been joining us pretty often lately. 

 

Today I was taking an early walk, more accurately my mom asked me to stop by the post office since I decided to head up to the junior high to talk to the new coach of the baseball team. 

 

See, I joined the baseball team because basketball wasn’t fun with Garrett being a doofus about it. I was sure that after the Basket Boys incident all the bugging would be over with, at least between Garrett and I. 

 

Sherry Stalls was  _ not _ dropping it anytime soon. 

 

I thought we had an unspoken agreement to just ignore one another. As it turns out, he went out of his way to make the team side with him. 

Which is stupid by the way, they weren’t there. They can’t take a sides. Anyway he used mob mentality against a lot of them, and with that tension present it’s pretty understandable why the team couldn’t function.

 

So I joined baseball. Baseball was fun and I knew a few guys on that team and the fact that Garrett couldn’t catch a baseball to save his life was a plus.

 

So I went to the Junior High, met with the baseball boys (they were pretty boss) and the coach looked pretty jazzed about getting a new guy. They’re short a few guys

I asked them if I could join in on their training and the coach said it was fine, I would just be warming up on my own. That was great, I was setting myself in the perfect place to get a spot on the team. Yes, I’m that confident in my baseball skills. 

 

Moving on, so I dropped by the post office and guess who I see?

 

Jack was there with his mom. He looks like his mom, as in just like her. Same dark curls and bright eyes even the beauty mark. She was dressed nice, she had on one of those dresses my mom really liked to wear.

 

I know I should have greeted them, y’know common courtesy and all but I didn’t.

I just couldn’t. I know Juli didn’t mind him at all, she would have said something by now if she did, but I don’t I just… whatever.

I planned to just  drop in the letter and go. Made no eye contact and walked pretty fast but hey this is what I get for ignoring my manners.

 

“Hey Bryce!” I turn to him and walk over to him, letting him meet me halfway. We made small talk and I properly greeted his mom. 

 

“I’m so glad, Jacky’s made a new friend” Mrs. Lecce fanned herself a bit looked a little under the weather, before asking, “Would you know where the junior high is? I don’t want to be driving around lost come the first day.” 

 

I gave directions and was on my way. 

I was nearing the sycamore house when I saw them pull up to their driveway. At first I thought it was weird, but then maybe I was walking really slow. I kept walking, and watched as Mrs. Lecce got out of the passenger’s side and Jack come out of the driver’s side.  _ What _ ?

 

He hurriedly went over to the door at the front and opened before going to help his mom. Mrs. Lecce was walking though, a little staggered and when Jack got near she latched onto his arm for support. Then they disappeared into their home. 

 

I went home, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. 

It was just… I felt terrible but I shouldn’t. I didn’t know them well enough to be concerned and besides what if they didn’t want me in their troubles. But I haven't been acting neighborly and haven’t been treated them very fair.

 

Either way, I was planning on telling Juli about it when I looked out window and Jack coming out of her front door.  _ Huh? _

 

I didn’t go outside that day, I helped my dad with some yard work in the back yard. I used as an excuse to not go talk to Juli. I’m being stupid. Real stupid.

 

The next morning, I wake up to catch Juli. but I forgot that today she goes over to see her uncle Daniel with her dad. So I just walk around, cuz if I go back now I know Lynetta would not shut up about this if she caught sight of me. 

 

So I’m on my walk, and I come up on this slope of empty lot. It doesn’t lead to woods or anything but It’s a basin like piece of land that’s grown some wildlife. Pretty sure a park was supposed to be put there but I guess people stopped caring and just let that spot go.

 

I was looking and just musing to myself, the trees all and shady and some of the wild flowers were pretty enough, maybe if someone came by and cleared it up it’d look nice. 

 

When I heard the sound of someone running. Jack was running, coming towards me and pretty sweaty. He caught of me and waved and I waved back. Then, he came to stop in front of me and I noticed how fit the guy was. 

He looked athletic, maybe he was planning on joining the track team.

 

“Hey” breathing shallow he put his hands on his knees as he caught his breath

“Hey, how are ya?” 

“Good. Great.” He looked up at me, his eye were twinkling. “How’re you doin?” I couldn’t help but catch the slight accent in his voice. 

“I’m just taking a walk and uh gathering my thoughts” I turn to keep walking

And he straightens to walk beside me, nodding he says, “Mind my asking what kind? I could use someone else’s thoughts.”

 

I told him, indirectly, about how I was feeling about my dilemma of disliking people via association which was wet rag move. But he didn’t catch it, thankfully.

 

“It’s pretty bad on my part to be put down by this girl but she kinda caused a mess of things and the other people that were hurt are already of it, but I-I just can’t be around her.” I lied, easily and felt a slight jitter in my back. I watched him from the corner of my eye before he answered.

 

“I mean, if everyone else's is over it then shouldn’t ju be over it” again he’s got an accent but I mean he was right. I should get over it. 

 

We talked some more, i don’t think we had a lot in common. He played baseball, was on the team in his previous school. He liked running too. He was from New York and his family was italian. Cool, I guess. He and his mom didn’t get around that day to going to the school, so I offered to show him. 

So we went to the school and introduced him to the team, we’re both headed over to school early tomorrow morning for the early practice with the team.

 

**Thanks for reading. -V**

 

For  [ another_alex ](http://archiveofourown.org/users/another_alex/pseuds/another_alex)

I had lost the will to continue this because this is like the only story on AO3 and thought nobody really knew the book or movie. But hey, I’ll finish it for you.

**Author's Note:**

> Im gonna try and keep this around 12 chapters long, okay?


End file.
